


Joan Ferguson: Woman That You Fear

by oceansinmychest



Category: Wentworth (TV)
Genre: Character Analysis, Essay, Marilyn Manson - Freeform, Season/Series 05, lyrical analysis, not an actual fic, song analysis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 02:45:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12355854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceansinmychest/pseuds/oceansinmychest
Summary: This analysis anchors my love of Wentworth to my fondness for Marilyn Manson. There exists a definitive parallel between Manson's “Man That You Fear” with the characterization of Joan Ferguson in Season 5.





	Joan Ferguson: Woman That You Fear

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a big Manson fan and the more I listened to this song, the more I thought it resonated. So, here I am rambling in essay format about how it pertains to Joan Ferguson. Shout out to @msyukari for encouraging me to post it on ao3.
> 
> Here's a link to the song:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rthl_O4_G2o
> 
> Don't mind my rambling.

Joan Ferguson: {Wo}Man That You Fear.

This analysis anchors my love of Wentworth to my fondness for Marilyn Manson. There exists a definitive parallel between Manson's “Man That You Fear” with the characterization of Joan Ferguson in Season 5. This sort of material inspires me to incorporate religious symbolism into my pieces. It's a nod to MM as much as it's an extension of my interests. Content includes: comparison of personas, drawing parallels to visual content, and a lyrical analysis. My thoughts are a bit scattered so I tried to organize them as best I could.

“Man That You Fear” features on the _Antichrist Superstar_ album which is a part of MM's triptych. Manson glorifies and empowers himself through canonization and a devious critique on how the media hypes up this idea of fame's infectious addiction called “celebritarianism.” While Joan Ferguson exhibits certain attributes of canonization, she also gives into what the women “want” in later seasons.

Canonization occurs in the form of divine retribution. In “Happy Birthday, Vera,” Tina Mercado stands up for Joan and advocates her rise to Top Dog after Joan cuts out Juice's tongue. Engulfed in a sea of teal, he women surround her, similar to Manson's voyeuristic crowd that will soon stone him. With her arms spread apart, she takes a bow. She soaks it in. Smugness written upon her face. She lifts them high above, reborn as a _messiah_.

Another messianic moment occurs in 05x06 during dental exam. While it's a routine clean up/filling, Joan's arms fold across her chest as though she's mimicking religious imagery and the portraiture of saints.

In both characters, there exists a Machiavellian implication: it's better to be feared than to be loved loved. Harping on hatred can be a far more powerful channel than opening up your heart to a crowd that wants to tear you apart. Each persona steps up to accomplish what those are afraid to do. They are completely ostracized figures with an implied (self) annihilation. Feelings of isolation are conveyed through imagery and tone of voice. For instance, Manson's voice is palpable with anguish. In 05x01, Joan meets with her lawyer; power imagery demonstrates the isolation of the unit as perpetuated against a green wall. Ultimately, the martyrdom of Bea Smith later perpetuates Joan's martyrdom in a self-fulfilled prophecy.

Further Machiavellian principles linger in 05x07. Controlling the steam press – which is a symbol for punishment/control – reflects the idea of “taking the lead.” As Manson says, “ **someone** had to go this _far_.”

The scapegoat effect is applicable to both Manson and Ferguson. With the scapegoat effect, blame is pinned on a central figure rather than a party or individual assuming responsibility for a particular act.

In the “Man That You Fear video” (around 1:38), Manson stares­ at his reflection when he sings, "the boy that you loved is the man that you fear." This parallels season 5 in which Joan sees herself not as prisoner, but as the Governor.

He collapses on the ground around 2:45, akin to when Joan is released from the noose in 05x11. The lyrics, "collapse me like a weed" resonate. Similarly, Manson's Magdalene figure consoles him (hands cradling his face) which mirrors Vera's breath of life to resuscitate Joan. Those who condemn Manson crowd around. He struggles to stand, but he rises, much like the phoenix that is Joan Ferguson. Alone, he stands and faces the audience's judgmental stares before they stone him. This mirrors the Kangaroo Court in which Joan is subjected to a trial by a mob rather than a jury. He appears morose, embracing his fate, accepting his role as a media _villain_.

(I'm also reminded of Kafka's _The Trial_ though that's a story for another time.)

In 05x11, with a knife to the throat, the pariah is pulled into court for the final judgment. After Franky’s testimony, the women charge at Joan. The mob mentality of the women resemble the funeral procession that leads to Manson’s grim conclusion. Vilification comes full circle.

Targeted and consequentially vilified, no one here is wholly innocent. That includes Manson's audience as well as the kangaroo court. Manson exits the trailer and is immediately persecuted by a child wagging their finger at him. Thus begins the funeral procession: a march that bodes ill for the persecuted.

Lyrically, similarities can be drawn through analysis. This analysis encompasses a broader arc across the seasons in which Joan has been featured in. I'll touch briefly on the lyrics that caught my eye. Keep in mind: this is personal interpretation!

"We're on the other side, the screen is us, and we're TV" bears a resemblance to the power of the CCTV. As Governor, Joan is quite self-aware. Ever the observer, she acknowledges what occurs within these walls. The “eyes in the back of her head” analogy suits this perfectly. In S5, we see the projection of Joan as "Governor" in the mirror (fantasy) whereas Ferguson as "Prisoner" is the harsh reality. The eyes are the mirror to the soul.

"Your apple has been rotting" indicates the seizure or corruption of power. No Governor who enters Wentworth walks away unscathed. It's a cursed position.

"I was born into this" alludes to Joan's breakdown. There is no denying that Ivan Ferguson groomed his daughter for success and played onto her routine perfectionism. Each pivotal moment in her life has served a purpose in a hierarchy of needs. Joan says it herself, “You have hectored and bullied me and treated me like one of your foot soldiers!” Ivan's influence over Joan affects all aspects of daily life and invades the sanctity of her personal space: her home. There's the photo of father and daughter in the dining room, the fencing sessions, the false consolation in 03x08, and his voice buried within the psyche. Perhaps she had no choice; perhaps this life was imbued upon her as a result of a domineering father.

"The boy that you loved is the man that you fear" remains applicable to Joan's characterization regardless of pronouns. We see her, arguably, as a softer deputy governor until she hardens into the Governor. The Fixer. Flashback sequences provide us insight into Joan's challenging past.

Those dream-like memories echo Manson's cry of "pray your life was just a dream: the cut that never heals." Jianna Riley is the cut that never heals. Her ghost lingers in Wentworth's halls, reborn in a pregnant Doreen Andersen and resurrected through her tarnished photograph littering Joan's office.

"I have it all and I have no choice but to: I'll make everyone pay and you will see" carries a vindictive undertone. This parallel's Joan outburst that's directed at her father: “That's because they _need_ to hurt.” There is a need – a drive – to inflict pain upon others. She acts as the final judgment, distributing punishment – correction – as she deems fit.

"Peel off all those eyes and crawl into the dark" could represent the ambiguity of Joan's fate in season five's shocking finale. In the dark with naught but a flame, Joan meets the eyes of Bea Smith – albeit as a sketch, as a **ghost**.

"You've poisoned all of your children to camouflage your scars" indicates the notion of a self-fulfilled prophecy. This reflects the relationship of Joan Ferguson and Vera Bennett. Vera – the sacrificial lamb – offers herself up in an exchange for an effective mentorship. It's a relationship disguised as trust, but becomes twisted along the way. In some regard, it reflects the relationship between Joan and her father (how he tainted her; in return, she taints). There's an innate power imbalance. While Joan does care about Vera, it's difficult to cloak past haunts.

A master lyricist, Manson hypes up on wordplay in the following lines: “pray unto the splinters, pray unto your fear." Pray indicates an act of worship. Listening to the song, however, “pray” can be conceived as “prey” in which you act as the aggressor – the hunter. The torture of Jodie Spiteri, the overdose of Simmo, the death of Iman, Bea's martyrdom, and Jess Warner's demise all speak to this pray/prey dichotomy. Therein lies a fear of _losing_ control (perhaps from the emotional undertow that is repressed). Splinters indicate a sort of impalement (think: Bea Smith launching herself onto the shiv). Smith embeds herself onto Joan in this explicit way which leads to Joan's further demise. The splinters come full circle in the guise of a wooden coffin.

I part with an inconclusive conclusion. To quote Manson, "When all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be _destroyed_."

 


End file.
